Why Social Spaces Are A Key Factor In Office Design Services

Social spaces in offices

It might be the case that a business already has a great workplace setup; the layout, furniture and technology at their disposal being the best it can be for every employee. Creating a social space with office design services doesn’t need to involve a total overhaul of a workplace, though. Social spaces can be created subtly, made to fit in with the current interiors.

Here are some examples of how a business can introduce a social space within the office:

• Breakout rooms. A breakout room (or area) is a space in which an employee can take time to relax, reflect and refocus, giving them the opportunity to think about their work in an environment other than the often-stressful work arena. A breakout facility can also be used to undertake informal meetings; providing opportunities for teambuilding exercises in a comfortable setting. Put tea and coffee facilities in there (or maybe even a water cooler) and this will help get people talking with each other!

• Kitchens. Aside from giving employees a facility in which to store, prepare and to consume their meals, a kitchen area, created by office design services, can work in a similar way to a breakout room; as a social environment that allows people to get around a table to interact, creating a genuine rapport and bond. A well-equipped kitchen will also give them the opportunity to bond over a healthier meal too, further improving their mood.

• Games rooms. It can be easy to assume that the installation of a room filled with games will mean that productivity will be lessened. Not so (well, as long as conditions are attached to their use). You have to consider a number of benefits that these types of rooms have; firstly, playing games actually works to boost the social aspect, as they help to get people together, to interact and yes, to have fun. Secondly, a games room offers a completely different environment to the one offered by the actual workplace; it’s a fun, carefree environment in which a stressed employee can switch off for a while before returning to the work zone in a better mood. Thirdly (and perhaps shrewdly), games do not switch people off; they keep people thinking, their mind constantly ticking over.
  
  Offices that have creativity at the heart of their operations understand this; why is it preferable for a stressed employee to be always sat at their desk not doing anything (apart from getting stressed) when they could keep their creative thought process going? The time that would otherwise have been spent staring at a computer screen, thinking of how they could complete the task at hand, can be used to provide them with a mood boost. As such, they’ll return back to work feeling relaxed and perhaps that bit more creative, thanks to them having to think about the shots they play on the table tennis table, the rent they have to collect in Monopoly, or the positions of the aliens they have to destroy on a games console.